


Avox

by Alliswell



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Avox!Katniss, Avoxes, Canon Compliant Mutilation, Capitol!Peeta, F/M, In Panem AU, Indenture Servant, One Shot, Sexual Harassment, Suggestive Themes, Underage - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2019-04-29 04:54:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14465448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alliswell/pseuds/Alliswell
Summary: A boy gets an avox for his 17th birthday. He will protect his avox from his rotten society at all costs.Based on Everlark Fic Exchange Prompt #55:Katniss was turn into an Avox and the Mellark family (a wealthy family from the Capitol) buys her. Her love story with Peeta. And maybe after the war, Peeta takes her to a Dr that is performing tongue surgeries (I read about that an it is possible) Thanks. [submitted by @marizpe17]





	Avox

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work of Fan Fiction for which no financial gain was perceived.
> 
> Characters of the Hunger Games, and other distinctive aspects of the story such as Avoxes, belong to Suzanne Collins.
> 
>  **Acknowledgements:** Thank you marizpe17@tumblr for this great Prompt. I hope you enjoyed the story I came up with and that it’s satisfactory. 
> 
> I will also like to thank savvylark, for taking time to read and beta this piece. I know it was very late in the game but you did a great job! I love working with you! Thank you!
> 
> Everlark Fic Exchange is a writing and fan art challenge hosted over on tumblr, they have amazing fics from a very diverse group of contributors. You may find some of the works in this site as well if you click on the Collections link at the top. 
> 
> Thank you reader for your support and time :) you rock too! Leave me a comment!

“How about the one at the end of the row?”

Ceres Mellark sashayed ahead of her family in her 12 inch tall needle heels clicking and clacking with everyone of her steps on the polished granite floors. The one-of-a-kind form fitting gown embellished with hundreds of tiny sea shells hanging from silver threads, clinged cheerfully as she walked.

The rest of her party walked unhurriedly admiring the window displays of the heavily ornate corridor of the Avox boutique. An attendant followed closed by, consulting his electronic tablet every time a question arose about one of the pieces for sale.

“Excellent eye, Ma’am!” Said the salesman in a sugary tone. “This one comes from District 1. No aggravated crimes in her history, just a minor stunt deactivating one link of the district fence. The damage has promptly repaired, and the young article was re-educated and included in this catalog.”

The man smiled pleasantly.

“Would she be a flight risk?” Asked Baldassare Mellark, Ceres’ father-in-law, who was a traditionalist old money louse that disliked everything and everyone, except his youngest grandson, who may or may not be his actual son.

The rumors abound, though the stories had never been confirmed. Only one thing was irrefutably true: Peeta Mellark was born exactly 40 weeks after Ceres’s husband passed away under suspicious circumstances.

The group came to a stop in front of the last window display, and gazed at a strawberry blonde girl, no older than 17, dull green eyes with lost gaze. Her cheeks were full and unnaturally pink, and Ceres commented about it.

“Is she wearing makeup?” The bridge of her nose wrinkled.

Peeta looked at his mother caustically. She was one to talk. Ceres was well in her mid 40s, but she dressed and acted like a woman half her age. She had many surgeries done to give her the looks as well, but now her skin had an artificial quality to it.

Baldassare looked at the girl and his eyes caressed the curves of her breast a hips ever so appreciatively. Ceres took an instant dislike, and announced she was ready for the next lot.

The attendant guided them into another corridor, similar to the previous one, but with gilded cages instead of the ceiling to floor windows of the other rooms. Each cage had a tiny bed with crisp white linens and a table, not bigger than a footed tray. Only a few of the cages were filled, leaving empty ones in between items.

“These are our newest pieces in this season’s collection.” The man spoke pulling information into the screen of his device. “For example, item number zero-three, arrived two days ago from the beautiful district 4, and possesses similar attributes proper from the region.”

He guided the group to a cage to the left, where a girl sat on the edge of her bed, looking hunted and sleep deprived. She was otherwise lovely.

“Any chance she’s related to Finnick Odair?” Asked one of Peeta’s brothers, staring at the girl wolfishly.

“Alas, she’s not.” Lamented the salesman. “Most of Victor Odair’s family was tragically loss when their fishing vessel capsized, during a leisurely venture into the sea.”

“Oh, poor dear. Such a relief he wasn’t lost as well. That would’ve been a waste of beauty.”

Everyone agreed. Even Peeta, who normally found that kind of topic almost as disgusting and selfish as taking a family trip to the Avox boutique.

Something he had to pretend to enjoy while his grandfather was around spreading his zealous practices of Capitol customs.

They moved on from the district 4 product, meandering around while the salesperson took the lead.

“This is it for our female stock. If you follow me through the doors on the left we will start touring our male population. We have a few interesting choices in this group…”

But Peeta had come to a stop in front of a cage, holding a girl that made his heart stop and the hairs of his body stand on end.

“Peeta, come, come, child!” Called Ceres noticing her son had lagged behind.

But Peeta didn’t respond.

“Peeta, do you hear me?” The woman snapped angrily, stalking towards her son as her shoes click-clackity after her.

She was about to place a long nailed hand around her child’s muscled arm, but he side stepped her and called loudly.

“Her! I want her!”

His family approached to bewilderedly look at the small, scrawny thing the youngest Mellark was getting so adamant about.

The attendant picked up his pace hastily, looking for information on the piece the young patron was interested in.

“Ah! I see young mister Mellark has found one of our own.” Said the man slightly frowning, but smiling brightly as soon as he looked up at the confused faces staring back at him.

“This one comes from our very own backyard.” He continued. “Capitol born, with an education from Jay Preparatory, highly intelligent and successfully re-educated.”

“Jay Prep?” Asked one of Peeta’s brothers peering at the salesman, and then quickly back the girl sitting on her bed, as still as a statue.

Jay preparatory was a highly acclaimed all-girls school in the Capitol.

“And what was the poor thing’s crime?” Asked Baldassare.

The attendant looked nervously from his tablet back to Baldassare.

“Illegal poaching.”

Baldassare came even closer to the cage, to study her better.

“How does one illegally poach in the Capitol?” The old man asked slowly, suspicion dripping from his words.

The girl turned her face towards the Mellarks slowly. Her pewter gray eyes narrowed as she gave the patriarch a withering stare Peeta had never seen anyone try before.

The attendant searched his device hastily for more in-depth information, but came up empty handed.

“No other details are listed, sir.”

Ceres looked at the girl, and wrinkled her nose at what she saw. “How did you make her look so… plain?”

The girl dropped Baldassare’s gaze to focus on Ceres then, on the garish makeup the woman wore, or the diamonds surgically implanted on her wrists and temples. Unlike the old man, Ceres had to step back from the cage as if spooked by the intensity in the girl’s eyes.

Ceres tittered a little, turning to the attendant. “Is there a list of reverse enhancements procedures? I’d be curious to see.”

“No procedures done, ma’am. It appears item Zero-One-Two has never been enhanced, other than a recurring treatment of beauty base zero.”

“Odd. Poaching and no enhancements. Why she’s practically one of the savages from the outlining districts.” Ceres literally turned her nose up.

“I don’t think this piece is what we’re looking for,” said Baldassare, to which Ceres readily agreed.

“NO!” Peeta spoke loudly. “Her! I’m taking her! If you want something else, then we’ll be going home with two avoxes today, but, I want her!” His face was serious and full of determination.

“She can be my birthday gift. I’ll ask for nothing more.” He finished, staring at his grandfather imploringly.

The old man’s brows were tipped up, simply staring at the boy, in his ardent debate.

But Peeta turned his gaze on the girl in the gilded cage, knowing full well his mother and grandfather where watching. He whispered loud enough that everyone could barely hear.

“You’re not very big, or particularly pretty. What trouble could you cause?”

Baldassare took a deep breath, and gave in to his favorite grandson’s strange demands.

“Very well. You can have your toy, seeing as you are so adamant.” The patriarch said, before fixing Peeta with a deep stare. “You will be responsible for her. You will feed her, make sure she stays healthy, occupied, and well behaved. You can do with her whatever you want, if you promise to watch her.”

Peeta felt a rage simmer under his skin at the directives he was getting. His grandfather made it sound as if he was getting a bedroom pet, which was further confirmed when his mother cut in protesting.

“Peeta is barely is 17! He can’t have a play thing! None of the other boys have one. Why should we give Peeta one?”

The other boys perked up.

Baldassare waved the woman off, bored. “Ceres, just because you can’t see further than your tinted spectacles, doesn’t mean I’m blind as well. The boys get plenty of play time on their own. Let Peeta have his fun, and stop suffocating the kids.”

Peeta looked hopeful. The salesman looked auspicious. The other boys, along with Ceres looked unconvinced but resigned.

Baldassare took a step closer to the cage and wrapped his fist around a golden cell bar.

“Then it’s settled little Jay bird. You belong to Peeta now. Don’t disappoint my boy, or we’ll have to clip your wings as well.”

The girl in the cage wished she could opened her mouth to yell, let out a string of garbled noises in the absence of her tongue, but all she did was glare angrily.

“Feisty!” The attendant shrieked nervously.

But Peeta wasn’t backing down.

 

* * *

 

The Avox was deposited in Peeta’s room after being delivered.

She looked around the spacious room. It was considerably bigger than hers back home. It was also warmer than the rest of the mansion. I looked lived in but tidy, if that made any sense.

She had been dressed in a simple blue floor length tunic, with matching shoes and under things. She had been buffed and waxed before being delivered. She was hungry, tired, and scared.

There was no point in denying those feelings, but moreover, Katniss was angry. Especially angry at the boy. Who did he think he was?

While being caged up, a spark of hope had flared on her chest. At first glance, she found his deep blue eyes strangely familiar. Then, she vaguely remembered him from before. He used to be sweet, not that it was any consolation, knowing what she was to him now: his bedroom slave.

She was stewing in her anger, because the alternative was to give into the fear, and she couldn’t allowed herself that. Anger she could control, fear would just crush her to the ground and never let her up.

The door behind her creaked open, she turned around to face the boy, but was confused when a different one stalked towards her.

The way this boy stared at her, both hungrily and predatory, caused a chill to run down her spine. Panic hit her like a thunderstorm, when the boy grabbed her and started pawing at her skirt. She kept trying to pull away, but the boy just grabbed her wrists and dragged her back to himself.

“Where do you think you’re going little bird? You think my baby brother can get a fuck toy and not share it with his big brothers?”

His breath was cloying and hot, and she whimpered an awful noise when she couldn’t move.

“Cato! Take your hands of my property!” Someone yelled loudly behind them.

The older boy grunted angrily, but pushed the avox away from himself.

“Have at her. She’s not that pretty anyways!”

Cato practically tossed her into Peeta’s arms. The latter pushed her behind him in one fluid motion blocking her from view with his stocky body.

“She’s mine! Only mine. If you want one of your own then ask for one. But this one is off limits!”

“Suit yourself little brother.” Cato stalked out of the room, sneering.

Once he was gone, Peeta rushed to the door and locked it. Then he returned to his new charge.

“Katniss, are you okay?” He asked breathlessly, looking her over for any indication of injury. “That brute! How dare him?!”

The girl’s eyes widened, staring at Peeta in surprise. Avoxes had no names as far as their masters were concerned.

She opened her mouth to ask him how he know her name, but only a gurgle came out. The noise brought his attention back to her scared face.

He grimaced. “Hmm, I’m sorry about all this. I just… I saw you there, and I had to do something. I’m sorry for saying all those awful things back there. But grandfather was about to walk away from you, and I just couldn’t leave you there. There’s no telling where you’d end up.”

Peeta rubbed her arms warming her up, calming her down after Cato’s attack.

“I’m sorry about my brother, Cato. He’s a jerk, but he’ll be gone soon, he’s going to college in a few days. So will my other brother, Marvel, but you don’t have to worry about him. Marvel likes boys better than girls. I still don’t want you around him though. He’s harmless on his own, but with Cato around, he turns into an enabler.”

Katniss tried to speak again, forgetting she was unable to once more.

Peeta looked at her with something akin to righteousness, but soon started looking around until his eye caught something, and he rushed to retreat it. He came back with a book and a pen, and thrusted them into her hands.

“Now you can talk.” He pointed and smiled at her encouragingly.

She studied him a moment and shook her head before opening the book and scribbling quickly.

_‘How do you know me?’_

“School!” He answered quickly reading her question. “I’m Peeta, by the way.”

_‘School?’_

_‘I gathered as much thanks your family calling your name so many times.’_

His answer this time was more carefully chosen.

“Yeah. Debate team competition. We came in second place. You Jays swept the floor with Panem Academy.” He smiled at nothing in particular with eyes lost in his memory.

‘ _Why did you choose me?’_

He shrugged. “I know you would’ve done the same in my position, for a fellow debater.”

Katniss stared at him. She wanted to lie and say she didn’t remember seeing this boy before, but she had. She shook her head again and scribbled once more.

_‘I’m not sure I would’ve gone to the Avox boutique to get a thing to play with at night.’_

He turned scarlet red after reading her message.

“I wasn’t planning on doing anything. I just couldn’t leave you there to either be sent to the sewers or to some place where you’d really be a slave. At least here, I can make sure you're safe.”

_‘How are you going to accomplish that with your brothers lurking around?’_

“Easy. You lock yourself in, and I’ll keep the only key inside this locket around my neck.”

He produced a gold medallion from inside his shirt, big enough to hide a key.

_‘You’re saying that I was released from one cage, to enter another?’_

Peeta sighed.

“I’m sorry.” He said sheepishly. “I promise This is temporary. You will have more room once Cato and Marvel are gone.”

Katniss looked stoically at him, and nodded.

The first day of becoming someone’s owner, was shaping out to be the most awkward of Peeta’s life.

 

* * *

 

Katniss slept in a small antechamber just off Peeta’s room. She had a fluffy comfortable bed, a desk, chair and a small refrigerator with fruits and drinks to snack on during the day while Peeta was gone doing who-knew-what.

She had been there for three full days, and was bored out of her mind. Peeta’s bedroom didn't feel that big after being trapped inside for so long; she found herself reaching for the door to unlock it and escape the confines of her prison, but the prospect of finding Cato somewhere outside, scared her to the core, so she stayed her hand.

She decided, it was time she figured out a way to communicate with someone on the outside, and let them know where she was and that she was okay.

There was a phone in the room, but it was useless to her, since avoxes couldn’t speak, and she wasn’t going to risk calling the one place she knew to call anyway. It would be disastrous if the hideout was discovered and all her friends where turned in avoxes like her or worse, killed.

What she needed was a computer, but Peeta didn’t have one in his room. It was stipulated in the purchase contract, that the avox would have no access to any computers or electronic devices that emitted or received signals of any type.

Katniss huffed.

She had to figure out a solution soon.

 

* * *

 

On the third evening, Peeta wished Katniss a good night before heading to bed himself, reiterating that she was welcomed to watch the television if she wanted to. He didn’t care, and the glare wouldn’t bother him.

She was scribbling something in her notebook when a knock made them both jump and turn to the door.

Peeta shrugged, and approached to answer.

Baldassare stepped into the room, exuding power and casting an oppressive sort of authority around him.

Katniss's re-education kicked in like an unwanted survival skill she’d acquire by force. She was an avox now, in Baldassare Mellark’s house and her job was to appear as if part of the decor, until her owner needed her.

“Peeta. Good evening, son.”

“Grandfather, what a lovely surprise.”

Peeta seemed perfectly pleased, as he invited his grandfather deeper into his rooms with a flourish of his wrist.

“I feel as if we haven’t spend any quality time together. I thought I would remedy it by checking in on you, and see how are you liking your early birthday present.”

“Oh!” Peeta chuckled pleasantly. “I’m enjoying my gift alright. I apologize for not mentioning how grateful I am for your generosity.” His smile was broad and bright. “You spoil me grandfather!” He added gratefully.

“Well… will you show your old grandpa what a boy your age does with his very own avox?” The old man asked, a hint of malice in his voice.

Katniss had remained motionless, standing by the closest door, hoping to blend in as a wallflower and maybe, maybe, had Peeta send her away soon, so he could visit with his grandfather.

But Baldassare’s words snuck up on them and took them by surprise.

Peeta hadn’t asked Katniss to do anything since she arrived, content just chatting with her through her notes. But now that the old man wanted to see what they’d been up to for the last three days, a painful, unbearable panic started filling her chest.

Peeta stuttered. “Well, um, so far, all I’ve had her do is just… tidy up after me. But, that’s what she’s here for, right?”

The old man simply observed his grandson turn scarlet in the face. Then he laughed.

“Are you sure all she’s done is clean up your messes? Imagine how you’ll act once you start taking complete advantage of having a warm body close by, my darling boy.”

The old man leaned closer and told Peeta in a mock whisper, “Nothing beats the feel of a warm, wet tongue pressing on you, but that’s what Victors are for. Maybe next year I’ll get you a night with one of those for your birthday?” Baldassare winked mischievously, “You still have time. Enjoy yourself for now.”

Peeta’s face bowed as he smiled bashfully.

“I’ll keep that in mind, grandfather. Thank you!”

Baldassare left the room soon after, never sparing Katniss a glance as if she hadn’t just been verbally sexually harassed by him.

Once the door was locked after him, Peeta rushed to Katniss. Taking hold of her shoulders, he started his frantic questioning.

“Are you okay? Are you alright? What are you thinking? How are you feeling?”

Katniss jerked herself out of his grasp. Staring at him as all the implications of the conversation with his grandfather came crashing down on her.

“Katniss?” His voice was thin and pleading.

She grabbed her book and violently pressed her pen to the paper, all the while hot angry tears ran down her face. Once she was done, she shoved the book into his chest.

_‘Stop pretending you’re concerned about me and use me already! Everyone knows that’s what I’m here for. Why keep this charade? If you want me in your bed, simply take me there and do as you please. I’m your slave. You don’t have to try and be nice to me, I’m your property already!’_

Peeta’s blue eyes bulged.

“Katniss, no, you got it all wrong!” He said flustered. “I would never… seriously, that’s the furthest thing from my mind.”

_‘You didn’t sound opposed to it when your grandfather was saying all those horrible things! How am I supposed to believe a word you say?’_

Peeta sighed. “I-- I’m not like that… it’s not what I want…”

_‘You’re not like that? Are you like Marvel then?’_

Again Peeta’s eyes widened. “No! I mean, I’m not like either of my brothers, but I do like girls. I’ve noticed just about every single one I’ve seen, but none has ever made an impression in me as—“ he stopped himself in his tracks.

“Never mind that.” He sucked in a shuddering breath. “I have to act one way in front of my family, and hide who I really am on the inside.”

 _‘And who’s that?’_ Katniss spoke through her eyes, since her mouth was mute.

Peeta rubbed his face harshly for a second. Then went into a careful spiel.

“I can’t stand our way of life.” He started simply, then, he built up. “I can’t stand watching The Games every year, and noticed the snippets of leaked material we’re not supposed to see, of families crying in despair for their children that are as good as dead. I can’t stand the way we treat Victors; like they’re commodities instead of people. Which leads me to the most despicable thing I’ve ever done: pay for an avox!

“You think I’m proud of that? Every night I wake in sweats and my heart pounding loudly in my chest, scared to death you won’t be in your bed when I peek my head in. I’m so paranoid something bad’s gonna happen to you when I’m not looking that I ordered a set of security cameras to be placed in the room and a tracking device you can wear when my brothers finally leave and you can roam about the house freely in safety.

“I feel sick to my stomach, that I’m treating you like a dog. A very valuable dog, that I’m scared someone will snatch.

“I don’t want to have sex with you, not because you’re not beautiful and interesting… because you are… very--” he stopped and sighed in frustration. “But you’re not free to consent to it. I’m not going to rape you, Katniss. I could never live with myself if anything happened to you, let alone if I was the one hurting you. I want to protect you.”

‘ _You shouldn’t be saying things like that, Peeta. Is not safe.’_

“Its the only way I can tell myself I’m not a piece in their games.” He retorted stubbornly.

 _‘Look at me!’_ She demanded both on paper and with her hard stare.

_‘I am a piece in their games. Look. At. Me.’_

_‘Don’t become me by protecting someone you don’t truly know.’_

“Then tell me who you are! I want to be your friend!”

 _‘I’m not very good at making friends.’_ Her eyes groused.

“Give me your book.” Peeta demanded suddenly. “I’m your friend, and I’m going to take care of you. I’m starting by burning this book, because it has too many secrets in it already, and then… we’re learning other ways to communicate.”

She gave him the notebook and saw him toss it into his chimney. In a matter of minutes, the hardcover of the book was twisting outward as tongues of fire devoured it slowly.

Katniss crouched near it, just to watch it burn.

It was a small gesture. He’d burned something for her. But it meant safety. It meant her life mattered to him even when it didn’t to rest of the world, and she knew then, he was trustworthy.

“If we’re gonna friends, we have to start answering the hard questions.” He said seating on the floor next to her, still staring at the spectacle in the fireplace.

She gave him a weary look, and pointed at her burning book.

He smiled. “You won’t have to write this one. What’s your favorite color?”

Her boisterous gray eyes demanded if he was serious, but at his nod, she shook her head rolling her eyes; was this truly one of the hard questions that came to his mind? But finally Katniss looked around the room for something to point at.

She stood and walked to a plant, with fat long leaves in a deep, luscious green. She rubbed one leaf between her thumb and index finger, and Peeta hopped off the floor, joining her to study the plant.

“Green.” He stated, “your favorite color is green.”

She nodded and smile. Then pointed at his chest.

“Mine?” He asked.

She assented.

“Orange. Not bright orange, but the hue you can see during sunset.”

She closed her eyes for a moment, and smiled to herself. She nodded in agreement, and then opened her eyes.

She smiled at him slightly, and haltingly brought her hand to his forearm to squeeze once.

He just followed her motion with his eyes.

He sighed when her hand dropped from his arm.

“I don’t know how or why you ended up an Avox, Katniss. My grandfather doesn’t believe you were hunting illegally, and neither do I, we’re not stupid. But I swear I’ll protect you with everything I have. Please, believe me.”

And she did. And she felt guilty receiving his blind loyalty without telling the whole story.

 

* * *

 

True to his word, Peeta procured sign language books for himself and Katniss. There were companion videos for each lesson. He was enthusiastic about it, but she just felt depressed about losing her ability to talk, and having to learn how to do it all over again.

She mourned her tongue, severed for a crime the Capitol considered treason, though all she did was spread the truth. She was punished by taking her voice away.

She resented everything and everyone involved in the cruel punishment. And the moment she saw the books Peeta was so proud he was able to find for her, she nearly choked him.

She pushed him against the wall and broke a vase in the process.

Peeta picked up the broken pieces for her, as he apologized over and over for something he had no way of understanding or knowing.

Katniss stomped to her tiny room, and sat in her bed for the longest time. It wasn’t until supper time, she noticed Peeta’s bandaged hand.

She wanted to ask what happened, but she was embarrassed by her irrational reaction.

Peeta never mentioned the cuts were a direct result of the broken vase; he was sure Katniss would feel horrible about it, or at least he hoped she would, but even in that, he tried to protect her.

The books remained in a shopping bag hidden beside a loveseat in the corner of the room, where he’d tucked them, with the hopes she’d would be willing to give them a try.

Meanwhile, Peeta tried to engage Katniss in some form of conversation, but she wouldn’t even look at him.

She went to bed early that night, unlike previous night, when she would delay sleep for as long as possible, to avoid the nightmares that hunted her every night.

She fell into a fitful sleep.

Tongues. There were tongues everywhere, severed and bloodied. A rat started chasing her until she fell on the ground. The rat overtook her, and ate her tongue right out of her mouth.

“Katniss! Katniss wake up!”

Someone shook her by the shoulders. She tried to scream, but nothing came out. Her tongue was missing. Her nightmare was reality. She tried to scream again, she pushed at him, she kicked, she panicked, she threw her pillows at him, and finally fell of the bed, finding a place to cower under her desk.

She was so disoriented. So scared and alone.

“Katniss, please!” She heard a voice that finally made sense.

The voice was shaky and thin. She saw the hand and the arm he offered as a safe haven just outside her hiding spot.

She dared take it, and was rewarded with warmth and steady heartbeat against her ear.

She realized the person hugging her was sobbing quietly, and noticed her own cheeks were wet.

“I’m sorry they did this to you. I’m sorry you’re hurting. I wish I could fix it for you. I’m sorry.”

Katniss wasn’t as alone as she originally thought she was.

She cried herself to sleep in the cocoon of safety of the boy’s arms. She hadn’t felt this safe since her father died so many years ago.

 

* * *

 

Katniss woke up with a terrible headache and a dryness in her throat, it actually ached.

There was something heavy across her waist, but when she opened her eyes, she jumped, startled.

She found herself in Peeta’s humongous bed, tangled up in his sheets, she figured his arm was laying over her middle, but what had her crawling out of her own skin, was the woman standing merely three feet away from the bed, by the window looking over the house grounds.

Katniss had no idea what to do. She could pretend she was still asleep, or she could surreptitiously wake Peeta up so he could deal with his mother, but none of her ideas came to fruition, because Ceres’ eyes shifted to the bed, glaring down at her son and his avox.

“You’re finally awake.” She said in a bored tone.

“Baldassare will be happy to know his coinage wasn’t wasted after all, and Peeta is making use of his new play thing.” She glance back out the window.

“Make yourself useful, and prepare my son his bath. We’re taking his brothers back to University in two hours. I’ll send someone up with his breakfast.”

Katniss couldn’t look at Ceres. She tried to move his heavy arm from her as gently as she could to not disturb him, but the only thing he did, was tighten his hold on her. It was getting worse by the second with his mother hovering around, glaring at her.

“Kah-issss…” he yawned lowly, pulling her back to him. Fortunately, he was stirring awake.

He opened his eyes slowly, and reacted more violently than she had when noticing his mother.

“What are you—?” He screeched, constricting his arms around Katniss painfully.

She made a small noise at the back of her throat, and he released her almost immediately.

“I’m sorry…” he mumbled at her.

Katniss slipped out of bed and hurried to the bathroom, to run a bath for Peeta.

“What’s going on?” Peeta asked frustrated.

She could hear him talking in the other room until she shut the door. She busied herself pouring soaps and salts into the warm water, until Peeta came into the bathroom muttering under his breath.

“Even grandfather knocks, and this is his flipping house!”

He pulled his sleep shirt over his head, and flicked it on a fine wooden box lined with a laundry bag. He kept his ranting low, while Katniss followed his movements with widened eyes.

“What if we hadn’t been decent? Like if you and I were actually free to… you know, be indecent in bed. There’s something called privacy, someone should introduce her to it!”

He took off his pants, and when he started on his shorts she tore her eyes away, turning her whole body around. There was some irony in his rant about privacy, all the while shucking off his clothes in front of someone who had no business looking at him half naked.

“Oh,” he noticed her discomfort. “I don’t care if you see me. But, you can turn around now, I’m all covered up.”

She still didn’t move an inch.

“I’m gonna hop in the shower real quick—“

She turned to him swiftly, glaring and scowling at him. She pointed, a little disgruntled, at the bathtub ready for him, but then she saw that his ‘all covered up’ statement wasn’t necessarily accurate.

He had a towel wrapped around his hips, but the rest of his body was on display. He was all lean muscle over muscle, and she momentarily thought “No 16 year old boy should look that appealing,” especially when she was trying to convey her annoyance.

She shook her head ridding herself of the thoughts, and shoved her finger in the direction of the steaming bath, then at him, then out the door.

“Yeah. Mother said she ordered you to make me a bath… but she isn’t your owner. I am, and I’m telling you now, that since you went through the trouble of making that lovely bath, you can enjoy it yourself. I’m just going to take a very quick shower.”

He smiled at her, and entered a separate room with multiple shower heads and an electronic panel that controlled everything, the pressure of the waterfall, the number of showerheads running, the mixture of soaps and shampoos laced in the water for the user’s convenience, etc.

“Go on. Enjoy it, Katniss. I’ll be gone for a few hours, you may as well take advantage of the suite.”

He walked into the glass room, punched a few buttons, and the windows of the shower glazed over, effectively giving both of them that privacy he was vociferating about.

She looked at the pearly bubbles covering the surface of the hot water, and longed to marinate in it. So she disrobed, letting her nightgown pool at her feet, followed by her underwear. She stepped into the tub that covered a whole corner of the room. She took her wet hair out of its braid and soaked in the comfortable warmth closing her eyes.

A few minutes later, Peeta climbed out of his own refreshing shower, and saw her sitting in the tub, so relaxed. Her face was sweet, and so pretty; no scowl wrinkling her lips and forehead. She was covered in bubbles up to her chin, but she was asleep, he noticed, and decided that for her safety, he should wake her. He put on a thick terry robe, and caressed her cheek lightly.

She opened her eyes slowly, in her delirium her brain not catching up right away to the fact that they were both completely naked only covered by his robe and her blanket of foam.

“I’m heading out. I know you’re tired from last night’s lack of sleep, and I want you to rest, but it’s better if you do it out of the tub full of water.”

He caressed her hair, and it felt so impossibly good, she leaned into the touch.

He smiled.

“I’ll see you soon.”

 

* * *

 

Things steadily improved after that day.

She and Peeta entered a semblance of friendship she had never experienced before. They could sit in the room next to each other quietly, and be happy simply being in each others company.

He liked to sketch and paint, and had an entire room dedicated to that hobby. He would drag her to ‘the talent room’ as she called it in her head- because he really was talented- to sketch her. He had hundreds of sketches of her.

Some sketches she wonder how could he had known the way she used to look before becoming an avox; sure, he said he seen her before, but was it long enough for him to capture certain looks? For example, her in her father’s too big leather jacket, or sitting under a tree reading a book, or her at what she thought was her very first day of school. But there they were, pictures of her like snap-shot of her old life, greeting her every time she peeked.

Katniss was also free to leave Peeta's room, though she had to pretend to be doing things for him, like his laundry, or fetching his breakfast that he’d share with her. She actually enjoyed being busy regardless of what menial task he had instructed her to do.

She kept having nightmares, but after the second time, Peeta simply disposed of her tiny bed in the antechamber, and stubbornly declared she was now sharing his bed, since the both of them slept soundly while huddling together under his heavy blankets.

She didn’t complain… much.

She kept fixing him baths he made her take herself, stating he favored showers, and she gave up feeling ticked about it, and just enjoyed it.

Oddly enough, Katniss was growing more comfortable with nakedness around Peeta.

As any good Capitolite, Peeta really couldn’t care less about modesty, but out of respect, knowing it made Katniss uncomfortable, he took to announce when he was about to strip, so she could look away or completely leave the room.

It was in one of those trips away from him, while he was deciding on an outfit standing at his closet door completely nude, that she had the misfortune to run into Baldassare.

The old man didn’t usually bother addressing the help, but her, he was intrigued by.

“Miss Everdeen, what a surprise to see you out of my grandson’s careful eye.”

Katniss froze on the spot.

The Mellark patriarch laughed at her troubled expression.

“You didn’t think I’d dig into you? The way Peeta reacted upon seeing you; how passionately he demanded you stayed in his rooms, instead of the Avox quarters with the rest of your kind; the way his face lights up every time he excuses himself to his bedroom, to you. I had to know who you were before becoming item number zero-one-two.

“I decided to let this little scenario of his play out, but I didn’t wait idle on the fringes. I needed to know where he’d known you from and why was he so… taken, with you.”

Baldassare shrugged, and took a seat on an opulent leather chair by a bar cart. He pointed at the cart, and she moved to it robotically, serving the man an amber color spirit, she knew to serve over ice.

The man gave the contents of his glass a swirl, before taking a sip and casting an approving hum.

“So, why is Peeta taken with you? That was the easiest part to uncover. He’s liked you for a very long time, though I don’t think you were aware of him until he found your cage.”

She hated to admit it, but the old vulture was right. She seen him before, but not until being faced with her uncertain future, she gave him much thought.

He sipped his drink again and chuckled.

“The symbolism was just too precious! I have to admit the government can wax on poetic so beautifully some times.”

Katniss felt fear clawing at her chest.

“Tell me, Miss Everdeen-- or should I call you by your other name? Renowned cyber terrorist ‘The Mockingjay’-- how does a 15 year old little girl such as yourself, can not only steal vital State Secret information, but then relay it to a supposedly dead district?”

She wants to tell him she’s almost 17, that it was easy to find District 13 once in the Capitol’s mainframe. The Capitol is well aware of 13’s existence, and goes to great lengths to keep the lie of it’s anhilitation alive.

But she’s an avox, she can’t speak, so she bows her head in resentment.

“I’ll tell you what miss Everdeen, you keep my grand boy satisfied and well served, and I’ll let your mother know your whereabouts, and that you’re safe.”

At that, she met his eyes, there was more fear than relief for her in the man’s words.

“Go back to my Peeta, miss Everdeen. Tomorrow is his 17th birthday, and the boy does like you. A lot. So, make him very happy tonight, you’re his birthday gift after all. Maybe next year I’ll give him a real treat. A Victor! I’m sure he’ll enjoy one that is whole.” His icy blue eyes, so different than Peeta’s warm ones, shone with malice.

“Run along now, little Jay bird.”

There was no were Katniss wanted to go, but back to Peeta, so she ran as soon as it was safe to do so.

She was out of breath, crying and scared to death, but to her dismay, Peeta wasn’t in the room. So she huddled next to his bed, and vowed never to leave the safety of the bedroom.

 

* * *

 

Peeta returned a few hours later, to a sleeping Katniss, rolled into a tight ball on the floor.

He picked her up, knowing full well something was amiss. He didn’t have to see the tracks of dry tears in her face to know she had been crying.

He just held her, and she woke in his warm, steady embrace.

She snuggled up close to him. He rubbed her back soothingly, until her breathing even out. They laid in bed this way, until the sun started to dip behind the mountains surrounding the valley.

She stirred in his arms and he eased up his hold on her.

She kissed his cheek out of gratitude, making his heart flutter happily. She was taken aback by how sweet, and just a little shy his smile was.

No one had ever looked at her that way before.

He looked at her as if she was precious to behold.

But then she remembered Baldassare’s words, and her face fell.

“What’s wrong?” Peeta asked caressing her face gently. Concern took over his face. “Did something happened while I was out?”

She nodded. There was no reason to hide anything from him. He was the only person in the world she was sure cared about her now.

She left the comfort of his arms to retrieve the bag with sign language lessons. She plopped down on the mattress where he still sat, and leafed through the books, practicing a few of the signs, or simply pointing them out to him.

It took a very long time to just tell him that his grandfather had harassed and threatened, but frustration got to her at some point, and she dropped the manuals and simply snatched one of his sketch pads and a pen and wrote down the whole story, glancing over her treason against the Capitol, but including the curious part about him knowing her from before, at which Peeta rightfully blushed after a bout of nervous coughing.

At the end, Peeta was outraged by the things his grandfather said to Katniss.

Once more, he swore to protect her, even if he had to smuggle her out of the house. But then it occurred to him, he still had no idea the real reason she was turned into an avox.

“Katniss, what was your real crime?” He asked quietly. “Grandfather has connections in high places of government, he can get any intel he wants by greasing off the right fingers, but I don’t have the same insight. So unless you tell me what happened, yourself, I have no way of knowing. I have to know everything, otherwise how am I supposed to help you?”

She stared at him for a while.

_‘It’s dangerous. The least you know, the better.’_

Peeta sighed.

“Fine. Let me start telling you my biggest secret then. I want you to trust me.”

She was about to tell him it wasn’t that she didn’t trust him, but she cared about his safety too much to expose him. But he started a confession he’d hold close to his chest for nearly twelve years, and she was enthralled by the story.

“The first time I saw you, we were five years old. It was the first day of school and you were skipping around your father, like little red checkered butterfly. Your hair was in two braids instead of one.”

He slid the end of her braid between his fingers. Her eyes followed the motion with rapt attention.

“I noticed you because your father was singing, and every bird around stopped to listen. I wondered if you’d have the effect on them. Then, during music assembly, I confirmed my suspicions! You sang for the whole class and every bird outside the window felt silent. You had the same effect on me, and knew, just then. I was a goner.”

Katniss stared at him. Her cheeks warm and tingly. Her heart beating faster with every word that came out of Peeta’s mouth with a budding excitement she didn’t quite understand.

She tried to tell her heart to settle down. She’d seen Peeta lying through his teeth to his family everyday since the day he bought her, so convincingly, living a double life under the noses of the people who’d raised him; How did she know he was telling the truth now?

“I’m not like the rest of my family, Katniss. I want to be free of this corrupted world that maims people because they think differently. I want a simple life away from this hypocrisy and rottenness.”

‘ _Peeta, you’re talking treason! Stop it!_ ”

“I don’t care! They hurt you, they took your voice away, and I hate them for it. But if you tell me how to help you, I’ll do everything in my power to get you away from here. I don’t care what happens to me!”

_‘I do!’_

_‘I care!’_

_‘They’ll catch you, and turn you into an Avox, and we’ll never see each other!’_

“Then so be it, Katniss. As long as I can’t get you to safety first. I’d trade places with you gladly. Nobody needs me, but you have a family who misses you. I had to do something, so I sent your mother word that you were safe, and I will keep you safe. And I swear, I won’t rest until I find the ones who did this to you, the ones who accused you and silence you and—.”

Katniss tossed her notebook aside and surged forward, catching Peeta off guard, shutting him up the only way she could effectively keep him from talking, by pressing her mouth to his.

It took him a minute to register what was going on, by the time his mind came to realized she was kissing him, of her own accord, she had moved back. On impulse, he followed after her, grabbing her arms, pulling her back to him. He kissed her, more gently than she had done, but fervently.

“I’m falling in love with you, Katniss. I wouldn’t survive it if something worse happens to you. Please help me find a way to keep you safe from my family. Tell me how you became an avox.” He pleaded crushing her to his chest.

She believed him. So she wrote her response.

‘We have to learn the hand language, I’ll sign everything to you. It’ll be suspicious if we keep burning notebooks. But first, I need a computer.’

 

* * *

 

 

A couple of weeks later, Baldassare threw Peeta a big, expensive and unnecessary birthday party.

Many wealthy guests came to celebrate the occasion. Family friends, friends from school, grandfather’s business acquaintances, and even a few Hunger Games personalities such as Gamemakers, designers and stylists were in attendance.

Peeta struggled with the idea of locking Katniss in the safety of his bedroom, but his grandfather squashed that idea pretty early after announcing his intentions to host the birthday bash. The old man said all household avoxes, without exception, had to serve during the party.

Peeta had no choice but acquiesce to his grandfather’s directive, and hope whoever made her up was good enough to render her faceless.

All avoxes, male and female, had to wear the same ruby red floor length tunic. The females would wear their long hair pulled back into a tight bun and a bird cage netting over half their faces, while the male ones would go sans the headpiece. Both sets got their face covered with a white paste; a ruby red heart shape over their lips, that matched their clothing perfectly; to finish the look, charcoal eyeshadow that covered from their eyebrows, to the bridge of their nose in a single stripe.

Before Katniss got collected from his room to get dressed and made-up for the party, Peeta had her wear a choker with his initials on it.

“It serves two purposes,”

He explained apologetically when she frowned as he adjusted the strap around her neck.

“One, I’ll be able to recognize you at a simple glance. Two, it houses a tracker that’ll let me know your whereabouts at any given moment. The material is nearly impossible to cut, and the release is fingerprint coded. Only I can unlock it.”

He looked at her through the mirror. She was scowling at the collar with disdain. Peeta grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around to face him.

“Hey,” He called gently, “I hate treating you as if you were some animal. I know making you wear this thing is demeaning an a little extreme, but I don’t trust anyone right now. You’re an avox, it doesn’t matter that you belong to me in paper, you have no rights and are considered an object. If something were to happen to you, I’d be reimbursed my money back because legally, you’re just property, but nothing else will be done about you.

“Katniss, I won't risk losing you. So, I will act as paranoid as I am, if that’ll help keeping you safe. Do you understand that?”

Katniss nodded.

“Will you forgive me for making you wear this thing?”

She nodded again. He kissed her forehead and sent her on her way.

“See you soon,”

At the party, Baldassare kept bragging about how his grandson decided on a sound property investment as his birthday gift, instead of some frivolous, expensive trinket. He failed to mention this fine property he boasted about was another human being’s freedom.

Peeta spotted Katniss’ choker across the room. She was serving Ipecacktails in dainty little flutes. He hated the drink.

It amazed him how such a cutsie, inconspicuous cocktail of essence of Ipecac could be such a powerful, graphic representation of all the evil of the Capitol.

He was appalled at the number of partygoers flocking around the laded tray, seeking their second or third serving of the vomit inducing drink. He hated that Katniss was the one serving it. It was like a double slap to the face.

“Peeta, my boy!” Called Baldassare loudly, already tipsy.

“Come, come! There’s a very special someone I’d like to introduce you to!”

Peeta wasn’t in the mood to meet any of grandfather’s buddies, but he plastered a fake smile on, and made his way to his elder.

“This is Plutarch Heavensbee, Junior Hunger Games Gamemaker. He’s way on track to become Head Gamemaker, after Seneca Crane’s third year round.”

A rotund middle age man offered his hand in greeting, and Peeta shook it jovially, arching his eyebrows appreciatively.

“That’s quite the distinction, Mr. Heavensbee.”

“It is an honor, that oddly enough not many people are willing to take on.” Responded the man flashing a pleasant smile.

“Now, your grandfather tells me you have quite the mind for business.” He poked. “He’s very proud of a recent investment you made, and I applaud any savvy initiative from a mind as young as yours.”

Peeta tensed up for a moment, before smiling tightly.

“It seems Grandfather has again, put too much stock on my humble ventures.”

“Nonsense!” Cried Baldassare. “You have a brilliant mind, all of my best qualities finally shine on one of my children!”

Peeta had to fight his instinct to glare at the old man. It was comments like that, that put his origin in question. He wished they would address the rumors, and cleared them up once and for all.

But Heavensbee simply asked in a cordial tone about his interests.

“Not to brag, but I’m a shrewd investor myself, if I may intrude and ask what did you invest in?”

“I just… acquired a personal Avox.” Peeta felt sick to his stomach admitting such a despicable thing.

“Ah! Wonderful! Nothing better than a silent helper, to file our secrets away,” Heavensbee laughed. “Too many voices may cause the mind to lose track of the prettiest sounds, for example, my favorite sound, is birds singing freely, specially Mockingjays. Have you heard mockingjays singing? They’re quite something.”

Peeta’s eyes cut over to the Gamemaker sharply.

Katniss and him had gotten proficient at signing in record time. She had finally confided in him part of the reason why she was given a traitor's punishment.

He didn’t know her motivation, but Katniss had been ‘poaching’ information from the government via a computer virus she created, and then she had been leaking the intel to the rebels. She was known in the hacker underworld as The Mockingjay, and she had contacts all over the Capitol in very high places, of people like her.

But she was found and silenced. She was sold into slavery, and it was just lucky he found her that day, because she was scheduled to be buried in sewer duty, probably never to be seen again.

She had remained anonymous to the rebels, they had no idea what she looked like, let alone where she was. When she asked Peeta for a computer, she sent a coded message, letting her network know she was alive and uncommunicated, and to not look for her.

Plutarch, sighed almost tiredly. “To rule the world, one must be free, won’t you agree, Peeta?”

Before he could answer, the Gamemaker pulled a gold plated clock from inside his jacket pocket, “Look at the time. It flies in swift wins!”

He tipped the clock towards Peeta, when the light hit the glass surface at a certain angle, the image of a Mockingjay in flight appeared, another flick of the wrist, and it was gone.

“I have to bid my farewells soon. I’m reuniting with my team at midnight for some planning.” He pocketed the clock and nodded a small salute, then he was gone.

Peeta felt the need to find Katniss, immediately. He excused himself from his grandfather that was oblivious to the exchange and headed straight to the Avox with the collar.

He saw her eyes shift. He hated the makeup on her. He realized then, that one of the things he truly admired about Katniss, was that she rebelled against Capitol practices by staying herself. She had never altered her body with grotesque, unnatural changes like surgically implanted whiskers, or jewelry, or skin dyes.

Even himself, had adopted the Capitol norm to some degree: charcoal eyeliner, expensive designer suits, gold rings in 6 of his ten fingers, and necklaces so heavy and bejeweled, they could pay for a small knife in the last round of any given Hunger Games if he was so inclined to sponsor any tribute.

But Katniss had remained untouched, pure by Capitol standards… until they tore off her precious, truth speaking tongue, sniffing out her beautiful song forever. He hated them for that. It was her voice that first ensnared his heart, now it was gone.

“Put the tray down. We’re going to have a private little party of our own,” he ordered her loudly, so everyone gave him suggesting smiles and a few people even clapped wishing him a happy birthday.

He grabbed Katniss’ elbow, and she took a submissive stance bowing her head and gliding gracefully over the polished ballroom floor, letting him lead the way.

“So you’re the birthday boy, then!” Someone cut in front of them as they were making their escape.

Peeta was about to make some lewd joke about the call of nature, but he was surprised to see none other than Finnick Odair, most popular Victor in history, smiling broadly at him.

“I heard you got this little morsel as your birthday present.”

Finnick’s infamous sea green eyes fixed on Katniss then, and both her and Peeta tensed up. No one ever addressed Avox with as much interest as Finnick. Avoxes were usually treated as furniture, but the Victor simply looked her up and down, eyeing her necklace carefully.

Another Avox passed them by, this one was carrying a tea service. Finnick picked a bowl filled with sugar cubes and started chewing on them obnoxiously.

“That’s a nice little bauble you have there. P.M.?” He read the initials.

“Stands for Peeta Mellark. I like monogramming my things.” Peeta said flatly.

“Hmm! Smart!” Finnick threw a few more sugar cubes into his mouth. “With a tracking device I’m assuming. Any good owner knows the value of keeping things safe.”

Peeta nodded curtly.

“Good deal!” Finnick smiled munching on his sugar. “Better not lose sight of your valuables tonight.” His eyes flit towards a grandfather clock close by, “It's almost midnight.” He said curiously quiet, then he smiled again and offered, “Sugar cube?”

“No thank you, but enjoy! Now, if you excuse me, I have important business to attend under my avox’s skirt if you know what I mean.” Peeta winked coyly in a semi suggestive way that left no room for misinterpretation.

“Of course! By all means. Happy Birthday! May the Odds be ever in your favor.”

Peeta dragged Katniss away, down a corridor, as fast as he could. They were heading in the opposite direction to his bedroom. Katniss tried stopping him to ask what was going on, but he wouldn’t hear it, not until they were by a service elevator in a high traffic zone for caterers and other attending personnel.

Not everyone in the Capitol were filthy rich, nor were they all avoxes. There were middle class people that took regular jobs, menial tasks that the richest people couldn’t be bothered to figure out how to do, except they all looked as outrageous as gaudy peacocks.

Peeta waited a moment, inhaling a shuddering breath, and right as one said caterer stepped into the hall, he pushed Katniss against the wall, and kissed her in an animalistic fashion.

The caterer simply gave them a hurried wide berth, and went about his business only looking back twice, and giddy with excitement about having such a juicy gossip to spread around his coworkers. He could ever be interview by some variety show so he could air out the youngest Mellark dirty laundry.

At first, Katniss was so startled and confused she didn’t react, but then she was scared and angry, so she pushed back.

Peeta pinned her to the wall with his hips. One of his hands pinned both of her arms above her head, and continued kissing her desperately. He finally rested his forehead on hers, and whispered frantically.

“I love you, Katniss. So much! Please trust me. Please. I’m sorry for what I’m going to do next. I do love you, more than my own life.”

He bunched up the skirt of her tunic and pulled it up above her thighs, his hand traveling over her smooth, exposed skin, until he found the satin of her under things. She gasped at the sensation of his fingers slipping under the elastic on the hips of her panties and twisted the material for a few seconds, then tugged on it once, and let his hand dropped from her warm skin.

The whole while, he whispered in a loop onto her lips, “Forgive me. I’m sorry. I love you. Please don’t be scared.”

Then there was a commotion somewhere closed by. People shouted. Footsteps rushed toward them. Peeta looked into her eyes all she found there was love and devotion, contradicting his current actions, he brought his hand to her neck and massaged a spot there, before mouthing.

“Goodbye, Mockingjay.”

Katniss panicked.

Somebody grabbed Peeta by the shoulder and pulled him away from the terrified avox.

A tall, lean, handsome young man Katniss recognized as her childhood friend wearing military tactical gear she didn’t recognize, punch Peeta once.

“Katniss!”

Peeta cried out, but the intruder hit him with the butt of an intimidating looking gun, rendering him unconscious.

Katniss leapt to Peeta, but the man wrapped his arm around her middle and lifted her from the floor, just as the elevator doors opened, and a new set of footsteps joined.

“Up you go, Catnip!”

Said her friend tossing her into the arms of Finnick Odair of all people.

Finnick pokes his head out of the elevator casting a glance at Peeta sprawled on the floor, and then glared at the other man.

“Did you have to hit him so hard, Hawthorne?”

“His hand was all the way up her skirt!”

“Of course it was! Where else was he supposed to hide the flash drive with the information he lifted for us?”

“Well… I was told it had to look convincing.” Muttered Hawthorne moodily.

Finnick sighed resigned. “Well, it’s time to fly to freedom little bird.” Then he picked the choker into a pincer grasp and pulled off Katniss’ neck easily, dropping it on the ground.

Katniss caught up with what Peeta had done for her.

He started stirring, right before the doors of the elevator started to close. She tried calling his name, forgetting that only horrible noises came out of her mouth.

Peeta caught sight of her just in time. He tried reaching out for her, but she was too far.

Katniss did the only thing she could do before the steel door separated them for good.

She thrusted her hand forward, lifted her pinky and index fingers up, lowered the two middle ones to her palm and stuck her thumb outwardly.

_‘I love you’_

She was gone.

 

* * *

 

The war dragged almost three years.

At the end, guerrilla tactic attacks tipped the balance to the rebel’s side.

The Capitol fell, besieged in all fronts, cut off from all supplies from food, to medicine, to fuel and weapons.

All Capitol citizens were subject to audits, that more often than not end on the seizing of assets by the government of New Panem. Only a few people from the highest elite able to prove their wealth wasn’t obtained by exploiting the districts got to keep their riches, and those were usually heavily taxed and always revised.

Peeta Mellark was amongst those in the uncomfortable position of being a rich Capitol citizen.

Baldassare died mysteriously poisoned, after President Coriolanus Snow invited him as a dinner guest, to discuss why or how the Avox known as the Mockingjay, had escaped, and gone back behind enemy lines, under his knowing nose.

The actions of Officer Hawthorne that night, added by the snooping caterer’s account, covered Peeta from suspicions. Then Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee interceded on the boy’s behalf, further cementing his innocence.

Peeta was named sole beneficiary of his late grandfather’s wealth, and thanks to his manipulative charm, he was able to finagle his way into President Snow’s social circle. He became the rebellion’s ears without anyone other than Plutarch ever knowing.

Peeta hopes his intervention in the conflict would stay secret, he didn’t want to pull attention to himself from more deserving heroes, like Finnick Odair who barely survived a mutt ambush, or Commander Boggs, who brought to the front his concerns about District 13’s president, making everyone observe more closely before electing a new president.

He didn’t think of himself as important in the big scheme of war, yet, called an audience with the new president of Panem, former Commander Paylor of the resistance. After a few months, of wait he was finally scheduled to meet her.

“Mr. Mellark, welcome!” President Paylor said shaking the young man’s hand. “Have a seat.

“My advisor, Plutarch Heavensbee, speaks very highly of you. He tells me you were instrumental for the behind the scene moves and countermoves here in the Capitol during the early stages of the war. He also informed me that you financed some of our more strategic raids, mainly Districts 2 and 13, when president Coin tried to betray the rebellion.

“We cannot thank you enough for your support and generous contribution to the cause of freedom and justice. It must have been a big effort, and are grateful for it.”

“It was the right thing to do, madam president. I just wish I could’ve done more, and that’s exactly why I’m here now.” Peeta said shifting uncomfortably in his chair.

“What do you propose?” The president asked steepling her fingers in front of her face.

“Ever since my 17th birthday, I’ve been secretly funding a laboratory, dedicated to research the possibilities of repairing and reconstructing damage inflicted on Avoxes tongues and vocal cords.”

“Of course, I’ve heard rumors about a pioneering venture advocating for Avox rehab and deprogramming. I had no idea you were involved.”  
She said impressed.

Peeta smiled benignly. “I would preferred it if my name stays anonymous. We’ve achieved encouraging results so far, and I’ve recruited some of my fellow wealthy friends to also contribute to the cause. But that's not what I’m here for.

“Madam president, I want to transfer all of my assets to the Avox Rehabilitation program. I want to fund as many reconstructive surgeries as possible, starting with my family’s former staff, which includes one Katniss Everdeen, or as she’s listed in the annals of avox trade: item number zero-one-two.”

“You mean The Girl on Fire?” President Paylor asked arching an eyebrow.

Peeta smiled again, fondly.

“I mean the Mockingjay. It’s a better monicker for her, regardless of the fact she can’t produce sweet songs anymore.”

Katniss had become the thing of legends during the war.

She went from being a young hacke-, whistleblower- Capitol runaway, named after a songbird that should had never existed in the first place, becoming one of the fiercest warriors of the rebellion.

Katniss was nicknamed Girl on Fire, after falling two Capitol stealth bombers on a surprise attack on district 8, leaving them to be consumed by flames with only her incendiary arrows, especially designed for her, because she was a damned amazing archer and sharp shooter.

It was ironic that the voice of the revolution was a mute avox that only spoke in sign language, but Peeta liked to think of it as poetic justice of the best kind.

“There’s only one concession I’d like to ask for before making this transaction official and walking out of this building, madam president.” He said seriously.

“Anything you want, Mr. Mellark. You’ve earned my support fully.”

Peeta smiled.

“I like to be relocated to a quiet district, and granted a license for small business I could not only support myself with, but serving my new community. I’ve already set aside some funds and learned a trade for this purpose.”

“What are you thinking, then, mr. Mellark?” The president asked posing her pen to write down the pertaining permits.

 

* * *

 

It was a sunny day in early May. Birds were singing happily, enjoying the warm spring weather, and perfect flying conditions.

Peeta loved those days. The ones when life was so sweet and carefree, he could almost forget the dull ache in chest that hadn’t faded since he last saw her in that elevator, 4 years previously.

Almost, but never completely.

His heart would never heal, but he was at least happy to know he did all he could for the girl he loved since childhood.

A fragrant breeze came through the open windows of his rustic, but homie bakery in the far away district 12.

He chose the outlining district because it was where reconstruction was most needed, and settlers from all parts of the country were trying for a new beginning after the war.

Peeta had fallen in love with the scents of wet earth, wildflowers and hope that impregnated the air in 12.

At 21, he looked very different than when he was 17. For one, he looked ten years older than his age, with bulging muscles from kneading dough, handling heavy trays of baked goods in and out of ovens, plus the added strain of lending his strength to the reconstruction effort, which only made him bulkier.

It probably didn’t help that he grew a full beard concealing half his face. Although his identity had never being an issue before, he still didn’t want people to make a connection between himself and his family. His eyes remained as blue as a warm summer sky and as kind as man’s seeking redemption could only look.

He started whistling a cheerful tune he’d heard once from a dark haired girl a lifetime ago.

Suddenly, his song was picked up by the loveliest voice he’d ever heard in his adult life.

Peeta looked up from the cake batter he was mixing. Though he hadn’t heard the voice singing since he was a boy, the effect it had on the birds and his heart was the same.

His breath hitched when he saw her standing just outside the open door of the bakery. She was admiring with awe the sign above his shop. Then her magnificent, communicative gray eyes lowered until she found his, and a sweet smile spread slowly over her features.

Upon seeing Katniss’ face, a weight melted off Peeta’s broad shoulders, he had no idea he’d been carrying all that time.

“You’re back!” He whispered ecstatic. Incredulously happy.

There was a display case and counter between them, but he jumped over them, clearing the obstacles easily, as if they were nothing, because after four years of war, a piece of furniture truly was nothing.

She laughed. Heartily. And what a beautiful sound that was.

Peeta fell in love with Katniss all over again!

‘ _Nice place you have here,’_ she signed. _‘People tell me you have the best cheese buns in town!’_

His smile dropped slightly for a moment, but he shook it off quickly and responded with signs of his own.

_‘I don’t have much competition here. Perks of being the only baker in the district.’_

_‘Sir, you have no competition anywhere.’_ she smiled. 

She stepped a little closer to him, studying his face, his eyes. He wondered what she thought.

_‘Do I measure up to Gale Hawthorne?’_

He’d heard rumors that Gale had asked her to marry him when he was commissioned to oversee the demilitarization of district 2 right after the Capitol fall. He didn’t hear anything else after, but he was sure she’d agreed, because of her history with the young officer. Looking at her, there was no outward sign telling him she was married.

But Katniss took a deep breath, and spoke slowly and clearly, in that smokey  voice he longed to hear so badly. “My name is Katniss Everdeen. I’m 21 years old today. I used to be an Avox but got reconstructive surgery thanks to a good man who dedicated his life to make mine seem worthy when others had discarded me aside.

“Now, I’m free to live as I pleased. But there’s a person I wouldn’t have survived without. I’m looking for him, a man named Peeta Mellark. He’s a baker, and a painter, he sleeps with his windows open, double knots his shoe laces, doesn’t take sugar in his tea, and when everyone told him he legally had a right to my body, he refused to rape me.

“I’m here, because I chose to be with him, of my own free will.” She pinned him with eyes shining with unshed tears, “There's no contest Peeta. No one measures to you! I’m here for good because I want you.”

Peeta was momentarily speechless, but then he smiled. He reached his hand to wrap around the back of her neck, his thumb caressed her cheek lovingly, the he whispered.

“That’s good, because all I want is to spend every minute of the rest of my life with you.”

He pulled her to him and they kissed for the first time, as lovers in a free world.

**Author's Note:**

> In case you’re not familiar with Avoxes (which you probably are, since you’re reading Hunger Games fiction): 
> 
> An avox is a person who betrayed the Capitol in some fashion, and was punished by their tongue being cut off, and then entered into domestic slavery. Avoxes are mute. 
> 
> I personally couldn’t find anything pertaining reconstructive surgery of the tongue, but to be fair I didn’t look all that much. Sorry I dropped the ball on that.


End file.
